


Miles Down the Road (I'll Hold Your Hand)

by Mor-Mor (Not_The_Gods_Favorite)



Category: Let's Play Cyberpunk Red - Polygon (Web Series)
Genre: (kinda), Burger Chainz Loves Vang0 Bang0, Burger Chainz-Centric, Burger Gets Hurt, Burger is a Sweatheart, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Study, Cyberpunk 2045, Dapper Dasha (mentioned) - Freeform, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Friendship, Hugs, Introspection, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Minor Injuries, Mistakes were made, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pining, Pre-Relationship, Protective Burger Chainz, Road Trips, Running Away, Vang0 Bang0 Loves Burger Chainz, Vang0 Fucked up and Now Needs Help, Vang0 is competent, Vang0 is smart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:01:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28537044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_The_Gods_Favorite/pseuds/Mor-Mor
Summary: Vang0 Bang0 messed up, big time, he needs help to get off the radar for a while, and of course that his best friend Burger Chainz would help him, and a road trip seems to be the best way to make him drop from the face of the earth until things have quieted down. But the empty roads bring nostalgia and an unearths feelings both of them thought deeply buried. They say that road trips change you, why should that be different in the cyberpunk future?
Relationships: Vang0 Bang0/Burger Chainz
Comments: 5
Kudos: 14
Collections: PCPR Mini Big Bang 2020





	Miles Down the Road (I'll Hold Your Hand)

**Author's Note:**

> This monster wouldn't be possible without [Mason](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dramatiquemason) who was a lovely beta and made this mess more coherent <3 
> 
> And thanks to [Great Potato Famine](https://great-potato-famine.tumblr.com/)  
> for [this](https://great-potato-famine.tumblr.com/post/639396645185978368/my-piece-for-pcprminibigbangs-mini-big-bang-my) amazing piece!!

It had been a quiet day compared to what Burger was used to, and despite all his unused energy he piles into the van and turns off the engine way earlier than he would on a normal day, shuffling around the inside to let the mattress slide to the floor of the van before laying on top of it for a long while, just listening to some music as the sunlight dims through the windshield. 

Burger doesn't fall asleep right away, but he manages to doze off a little, enjoying some quiet for a couple of hours. It's late when Burger hears some knocking on the side door of the van. At first, he doesn't react; a fair bunch of people just stumble against the vehicle and continue on their merry way every day. But the knocking comes again, a little more insistent and now he can hear his name being called. 

He shuffles to the door, reaching for his gun just in case before he pulls it open, startling the short man who was waiting on the other side.

"Goddammit, Burger!" Vang0 hisses, leaning a little closer, eyes darting to the sides. "Can I come in?" He asks bluntly as if they had been talking just a couple minutes ago and this wasn't their first chat in about a week. _We're not that codependent._

"Wh- why are ya out this late? And with a bag?" He frowns when he sees the uncharacteristic plain green duffle bag hanging from Vang0's shoulder, completely contrasting with the man's clothes, even if this time he went for more subdued colors. 

"Let me in and I'll tell you," the blond retorts as he puts a foot in the corner, ready to push himself inside as soon as Burger gives him room for it. 

And Burger can't say no, has never been able to say no to Vang0, so he just rolls to the side and lets Vang0 in before slamming the door closed. He waits a little, then shuffles back to the mattress, huffing out a laugh when he sees that Vang0 has immediately taken residence in one of the corners and is currently kicking off his sneakers, leaving them by the duffle. 

"Why are you here? Not that I don't appreciate ya visiting, just... it's late and you’re carrying a bag," he points out, tilting his head a little. "Y’know you can talk to me, Vang0, right?" 

"Y-yeah, that's why I'm here, I-" he pauses, taking a deep breath "I got in trouble, I hacked into something I shouldn't have and while I got out mostly unscratched, I need to lay low for a while" 

Burger is ready to let out a speech that would make Dasha proud, but he just bites the inside of his cheek and focuses on something else. "How injured are you?" He asks instead, mentally checking if he has enough supplies to patch up Vang0 or if he needs to hit a dispensary. 

"A hell of a headache and- and my body hurts like I just ran a marathon," he says, grimacing as he lays down. "I already took a painkiller, I'm sure with a little rest I'll be okay, Burger." 

"Who did ya hack?" He asks, sighing as he lays down carefully so as not to jostle Vang0.

"Eh, I don't remember, I just wanted to see if I could skim off some money and maybe data on a new development, thought it would help our little business with Dasha, but I ran into some protection. Nothing serious, just- I wasn’t on a very high level, and I didn't want to risk it too much, so I just... I got a bit roughed up before I forcefully pulled myself out, that's why I got a headache," he grunts as he shifts to face Burger.

"Are you sure ya don't want me to check my supplies to give you something else for the pain? D'you have any bruises? You did say you were beaten up." 

Vang0 huffs. "Roughed up, Burger, I didn't-" he pauses, visibly measuring his words. "I dunno, I haven't checked... my ribs hurt though," he adds. 

"You want something for the pain or you wanna sleep it off?" He asks, shuffling around a little "Want a blanket?" 

Vang0 shakes his head and closes his eyes for a couple seconds. "I'm fine Burger, if it still hurts in the morning you can give me, uhhh, whatever you have." 

Burger nods with a little smile, appreciating Vang0's openness. While it’s normal for Vang0 to not have a filter, he’s reluctant to show his emotions and inner reasonings to people, and the fact he just confided in Burger is a show of trust. Content, Burger lays down on his mattress, staring at the metal ceiling of the van, just a little too aware of the ever-present noise of Night City. 

"There's a new game," Vang0 blurts out after some minutes of silence, his eyes still closed, but his voice sounds excited enough that Burger knows he won't be falling asleep anytime soon.

"Yeah? What about?" He asks, genuinely curious about it. If Vang0 is this excited, maybe this will be a game he truly enjoys. 

Vang0 launches himself into a detailed explanation of the game, even going as far as talking about who the developers are. Burger isn’t sure who dozes off first. 

°~°~°~°~ 

Burger wakes up with a start. There's a weight on his chest, and he's sitting up and blindly reaching for whichever gun is closest when his brain catches up with his instinct and reminds him that Vang0 is sleeping next to him, and that the weight is only the guy's arm. Luckily Burger didn't wake up Vang0 with the sudden movement, so he lies back down. 

He tries to push down the coiled energy, he tries to go back to sleep, but he only manages to get more restless, so he does his best to slip quietly out of the van, hoping that he'll find something to do to spend that energy. Burger shuffles around, and as he walks up the block he realizes that he doesn't have any food in the van, so he decides to do some shopping.

_'Went to get food, brb'_ he texts Vang0, just in case he wakes up before Burger makes it back to the van. 

He doesn't take long, after knowing Vang0 for so long he knows what the blond prefers from the already limited options in the city. He manages to get some dry fruit snacks, which is an absolute miracle in the neighborhood they're in and how much fruit is worth, he's almost sure it's synthetic fruit, but the label says its actual fruit, which makes him a bit proud of the guy who sold him that because that's a daring heist he had to pull to steal those snacks. But while he's still not sure that it’s actual fruit, he's sure that Vang0 will appreciate it anyways.

When he gets back, Burger does the same as Vang0 did the night before, knocking on the van's door and waiting for his friend to open from the inside. 

"Hey, g'morning… got ya some fruit snacks for breakfast" He hops in when Vang0 opens, holding up the bag with the food.

"Just that?" Vang0 asks back in the voice now Burger recognizes as his joking voice. It had taken him a while to figure out the differences in his tone, but now it was easier.

Burger nods "I got some cereal and a package of crackers" he pulls the stuff out of the bag "and some coffee" he pulls out the cans. It was easier to get cans of coffee than actual cups, and it was more practical. 

As they eat, Vang0 keeps talking about the video game he mentioned last night, somehow managing to come up with more details than before, gesturing and smiling as he passionately goes on a tangent for the fourth time.

They get interrupted by a loud banging at the door and Burger reaches for his gun as always. He wasn't expecting anyone, and most people knew to knock a little more carefully. Vang0 keeps talking just a little less enthusiastically as he also reaches for his gun while inching to the front of the van. Burger turns to look at the door, taking a deep breath before he pulls it open.

He hears rather than feels the start of gunfire before the van lurches forward, sending him on his side. Burger lands with a grunt, gritting his teeth through the pain of the wounds that the bullets managed to inflict. He sits up with a grunt, slamming the door closed and shuffling to the front of the van.

"Don't stop drivin, I'll tell ya where to go," he instructs Vang0, digging around the first aid kit he had pulled out last night "make a turn on Garlet, keep straight 'til Saller,” he adds, grabbing some bandages and messily wrapping it around the gash on his arm and pulling his shirt up to bandage the one on his torso. 

"Burger-," Vang0 starts with a worried voice 

"I'll be fine, just drive, gotta be safe before we worry about anything else," he says, reaching with his clean hand to pat Vang0's shoulder "You’re doing great, just- keep going," he says before leaning back with a grunt. 

The wounds are starting to hurt more now that he's more aware of them, but he can't pass out on Vang0, so he does his best to stay a little coherent as he guides Vang0 somewhere safe, or as safe as you can be in Night City. He still passes out as Vang0 hits the brakes when they arrive at the warehouse. 

He doesn't know how long he’s been out when he wakes up feeling groggy and with a slight headache, but he's faintly aware of tighter bandages around the areas he can feel the most pain. He can feel fingers on his hair, gently moving through the locks, so doesn't open his eyes yet, but he can smell the inside of his van, which must mean he's safe. Burger can allow himself a couple more seconds in the darkness before he looks around.

There's not much light, and everything is fairly quiet so they must be in the warehouse still. He tries to move, groaning as he tries to move, suddenly Vang0 is in his field of vision and he's being pushed back.

"Don't move you'll make it worse… we're at your warehouse" he pauses, fingers returning to Burger's hair "they found me, and they hurt you, I gotta disappear for a while, I can't let this happen again… but you rest, yeah? You took a couple hits" 

Burger just grunts again and nods, closing his eyes, if Vang0 is keeping guard he can allow himself some more rest. They stay quiet for a couple of minutes, an hour, Burger is not sure. He's brought out of his doze when Vang0 sighs and reaches for one of the cans of coffee that they didn't drink in the morning, he pops it open and takes a sip. 

"I think I'm gonna find someone to get me out of town for a little, draw even less attention to myself," Vang0 says as he puts down the can of coffee. "I'll call Dasha and ask her for someone."

Burger has to bite back a laugh, because he can't laugh now, not only because the situation doesn't call for, but because he'll jostle his injuries. "Y'know you can trust me, right Vang0?" He pauses, looking up at him "I can get ya anywhere you want, just point me in the right direction," he says with a smile. “The van ain’t just for show." 

Vang0 stares at him, as if he had forgotten that Burger was even an option. It hurts a little, but sometimes Burger himself forgets that he's a nomad, it's been years since he's been on the open road and even longer since he had a gang. He's not sure if he can call Vang0 and Dasha his gang yet.

"Ah, yeah, sure… I'll go with you," he says with a nod and a small smile tugging at his lips. "Vang0 Bang0," he adds, barely audible, but Burger is used to how those words sound even in the lowest volume possible. He tries not to think of the implications of that statement as he closes his eyes again.

When Vango finally allows him to sit up he starts to plan what they need for the trip. What supplies they can get on the road and which ones they _have_ to get in the city. His body aches, but he puts that in the back of his mind, focusing on helping his friend. He owes him that much. He's had a couple painkillers and it’s very late when he’s finally allowed behind the wheel, and he takes them around the city to grab what he can, humming to something along to the radio because the silence was starting to bother him. Vang0 is being uncharacteristically quiet in the back of the van, playing games but not streaming. It feels wrong to be with Vang0 and not have an almost constant stream of sound and sometimes words, but every time Burger looks at him through the rearview mirror he sees his friend absolutely submerged in whatever game he's playing, and he doesn't have the heart to ask him to talk a little.

Burger mainly stops to get some food, canned stuff that won't go bad anytime soon. He also buys some blankets, just to be safe, and he refills his first aid kit, since apparently bandaging his wounds made a significant dip in his supplies. He buys ammo, of course he does. If they already got attacked, nothing guarantees that they won’t get attacked again.

It's about 4 am when he pulls back into the warehouse, tired and hungry. He knows that the best move would be to immediately leave the city, make sure the van has enough fuel and just step on the gas until he can barely see the lights of the city in the rearview mirror. He should do that. But as he turns to Vang0, he looks at him for a moment, thinking of how the games seemed to be the only thing that kept him centered after what happened. He has to have a little talk with him. He sighs and shuffles to the back of the van and sits next to his friend.

"Hey, I don't know how good connection is gonna be when we get out from the city… most nomads have signal pickers and all in their convoys, but here it's just good ole me and I don’t have one of those. So maybe you won't be able to play stuff once we fall off the grid" he looks down, feeling a little dumb for explaining this. It's Vang0, the guy is awfully clever if clueless at times. This seems to be one of the things the guy can figure out by himself. 

But Vang0 just nods "yeah, figured, gonna have to find other ways to keep myself busy" he gives a tight smile and Burger understands. The games are as much of an entertainment as they are an escape. It must not be very nice to not remember whole years of your life, and having the pressure of being basically hunted down is also not pleasant.

"Hmm yeah, if we had more time I could have probably found an old console somewhere, stuff that doesn't need connection to run" he shrugs "I'm sorry about that" he bites his lip, the wheels on his mind turning, trying to see if he could still get that despite the late hour and their tight schedule.

Vang0 shakes his head "it's okay Burger, let’s just go… I can drive for a little if you want, you gotta rest, I only let you drive just now because you know your way around town better than me" he smiles softly 

Burger feels a little undeserving of the smile but he nods anyways, shuffling to the passenger's seat, Vang0 normally does great under pressure, there's no reason for him to screw up now "I'll show you a good route" he says as he leans the seat back, ready to rest as much as he can.

Vang0 nods again and slides into the driver's seat, giving Burger's shoulder a tap before consciously strapping the seatbelt, glancing at Burger until he does the same.

°~°~°~

The first couple hours on the road are awfully quiet. Neither of them are speaking, and the radio is turned off as they pass the second abandoned shop on the side of the road. Burger knows that probably none of those shops are really abandoned, but he doesn't feel like commenting on that, not now, not when he's still worried about an ambush.

Burger doesn’t really get scared when faced with danger, he usually just sets his jaw and soldiers on. But the outskirts of Night City are dangerous. People guard their territory just as fiercely in the city as they do out here, but these people often have guns capable of blowing up vans like his. In the city weapons that powerful aren't very common unless you’re wealthy, and most people don’t have the money or the guts to risk an off-brand one that could kill them. 

Burger startles out of his thoughts when Vang0 reaches for the radio knobs, the one appliance of the van that probably would keep them entertained in the middle of nowhere, to put something quiet on, something that definitely didn't feel like Vang0. Maybe it was the bright colors and his ever-present noise, but Vang0 felt like the music that had a lot going on at the same time, the kind of music that they could hear outside Vang0's shitty apartment and all around the city, something frenetic. But this was soft, soft like what Burger remembered from his family; it was almost nostalgic. 

But he liked it, it was relaxing… and before he knew it he was dozing off, barely catching a smile forming on Vang0's lips as his eyes fell shut. 

He woke up slowly, which was weird if he recounted the events of the past few days, the panicked wake ups and the chaos. But as he opened his eyes he saw the ceiling of the van but almost no windshield, meaning he was on the mattress. that was a little startling, he wasn't sure how he got there, but he could hear Vang0 humming along the radio so they must be safe. He shifted on the mattress and, without meaning to, he fell asleep one more time.

Burger woke up again with a soft tap on his shoulder. He blinked, Vang0's eyes staring back at him, hair framing his face as he looked down. 

"Good morning" he rasps

"Good afternoon, it's like 2 pm, you slept a lot and I drove us a little further away, I got food for you ready, I parked by the road to rest a little, it's clear, I've been keeping an eye on the road" Vang0 reports, words quick and precise. 

He moves to sit at Burger's side, carefully sidestepping his legs, getting into a comfortable position and eating something himself. Burger can only nod, a little surprised by his friend's thoroughness in this situation. Vang0 was usually a bit more of a roll with the punches kind of guy, but Burger was pleased to see this side of Vang0. 

They eat and they take a small break on the bushes down the side of the road before they jump back in the van. This time Burger gets behind the wheel, arguing that it's Vang0's turn to rest. 

Burger changes the radio to something just a little more lively, humming along and drumming his fingers on the wheel. It’s exhilarating to be back on the road, and with one of the most important people in his life. It feels almost like a dream. It feels fantastic to drive under the afternoon sun with Vang0 by his side. Even in these circumstances.

He feels the need to reach and hold Vang0's hand, to feel the irregularities of his skin, to rub over the rings and slide his fingers around his wrist to pull him just a little closer, like he has on jobs before. But he doesn't follow through. He can't, it feels too soft and too intimate, it feels like something not made for Burger, and he doesn't want to make the trip awkward. So he keeps his eyes on the road and his hands to himself. 

When they lay down to sleep, at around 3 am, Burger faces away from Vang0, trying to fall asleep as quickly as possible. If when he wakes up in the morning and Vang0's arm is wrapped around him again… no one needs to know.

Burger just sighs and closes his eyes again, willing his brain to stop fretting about this. It’s happened before, many times, and Vang0 never seems to remember, so it's not something important, it just happens. So as he shifts on the mattress, he pays no mind to the way his friend's hand fists in his shirt for just a little longer than usual. He pays no mind to the smile on Vang0's lips. 

The first couple of days on the road are rough. It feels weird to be in the quiet countryside and Burger feels on edge most of the time, ready for something to happen. Vang0 looks happy. He's poked his head out of the window two times already, letting the wind mess up his hair, and every time Burger wants to reach over the console and smooth the strands down, to tuck it behind Vang0’s ear to keep it out of his face, to cup his face and lean close and ki- 

No, he can't do that, that's something soft, he's not allowed soft things, he doesn't get to make sure Vang0's clothes are not askew before he leaves his apartment, he doesn't get to pull him close to his chest when Night City gets cold and blankets are not enough. His knuckles become white on the steering wheel and Vang0 looks worriedly at him at the creak of faux leather. 

But he just forces a smile on his face and stares ahead to the road, trying to keep his focus on the music, humming along with a song that must be at least 70 years old, but to Burger feels a bit like home right now.

That night, when Vang0 gets his arm around Burger's waist, he just pushes back into the touch, allowing himself just this, this tiny sliver of what he could never have. 

°~°~°~°~

It's a week after they left Night City, and Burger stops on the side of the road for the day. He doesn't think they'll get much further, they won't have enough gas for the trip back if they do, so their best option is to find a place with a little shade to park under and just wait out a couple more days before they start the trip back, before they run out of food. There's not many settlements by the road and they just crossed one nomad gang that gave them some food in exchange of some pieces of tech Burger had in the van. 

He finds a spot under a small tree. It's not much, but it's better than nothing. He jumps out of the van and stretches his legs, leaning back a little to let the bones in his back crack as he lets out a groan.

"Getting old Burger? And here I thought I was the same age as you" Vang0 jokes, jumping out his side of the van and walking around it to stand at Burger's side "It’s pretty out here, never been here before, that I remember at least." 

Burger nods with a sad smile "Family had the farm east of here… maybe some up north too, I know these kinda areas, been ages since I was last out here, though" he adds.

Vang0 stays quiet for a bit, but he suggests they watch the sunset on top of the van, so that's what they do, sitting on top of a blanket as it gets progressively darker around them. Vang0 leans into Burger for a while before his stomach grumbles, making him chuckle.

He climbs down, pulling the door of the van open and grabbing some food. "C’mere, it’s been a long day, we need a snack before we go to bed." 

Burger sighs before he jumps down, Vang0's been doing this for the second half of their trip, making sure Burger eats at the very least twice a day, and it warms something in him, something he wishes was warmer, but maybe it has to freeze over. 

Burger's resigned to look from afar and enjoy Vang0's company as friends; he can't afford to hope for much more. He sits against the opposite door and sighs as he bites into a protein bar, barely startling as Vang0 drops next to him and leans on his shoulder. 

He has to stop himself from holding Vang0, because he knows the man is not quite a fan of touching, but he'll let him get away with this, he'll let him go at his pace and do whatever feels best for him. After all, Burger prides himself in being a good friend.

The night falls on them slowly, as if the sun has slowed down; he can feel how the temperature begins to drop slowly. Vang0 shuffles closer, tinkering with his agent. Burger is pretty sure there's not much signal, must be enough for whatever Vang0's doing. 

"We're going back tomorrow, yeah? We don't have many supplies and I don't know when there will be a settlement," Vang0 mumbles from his side, it's fully dark now and the only light they have is the faint glow from his agent 

Burger nods. "Yeah, I didn't think we'd get this far out, but I think it was a good decision to keep driving. We might be a little short on supplies but we can always stop to eat on our way into town," he shrugs. 

"Yeah, thanks for doing this Burger," Vang0 looks up at him, and Burger thinks he looks gorgeous even in the lowlight. "I owe you one… or ten, whatever you decide, its- you dunno how much this means to me, Burger Chainz." Vang0 looks down, shifting one leg so it's on top of Burger's. “Do you think we could listen to some music out here or are we too far out?" He mumbles quietly.

Burger considers it for a second. "I think we're too far out…" he sees the dismay in Vang0's eyes, he understands, the silence is too much when you're used to the buzz of the city. "I can sing for ya? I'm not the best singer but I reckon the cows liked it,” he says with a soft grin, tilting his head. 

Vang0 nods with a big smile, shuffling to close the door of the van and Burger allows himself to be pulled over the mattress, smiling softly when Vang0 sits between his legs, pressing his back against Burger's chest. "Go ahead," he mumbles, eyes closing. 

Burger just nods and starts humming, singing a soft lullaby that he vaguely remembers. The cows liked soft things, they didn't care about how original the sounds were, but how nice his voice sounded, how his hands gently caressed them. If cows liked it, maybe Vang0 could like it too. So he goes for it, but he starts small, grabbing Vang0's hand where it's pulling at the loose threads on Burger's jeans rubbing his thumb over the soft knuckles, turning the hand so his touches go on the inside of the palm down Vang0's wrist… he avoids the spot he knows the port is, keeping his eyes on the skin he's touching. 

It's soft and a little cold, but he continues, going up to the elbow before he changes to the other hand. Vang0 is relaxed, and he seems to be humming to the tune of Burger's song, hands loosely on top of his own thighs. It feels great, Burger thinks he might be able to do soft things after all, that he deserves soft things. Vang0 seems to be okay with what Burger's doing after all.

They fall asleep late, laying side by side, and the sun finds them impossibly closer, arms wrapped around each other and legs tangled under the blanket. There's a smile on their faces.


End file.
